Many vegetables, such as broccoli and celery are bunched and tied for shipment to the market in shipping cartons. In the past, broccoli has been cut and transported to a packing shed for bunching, generally the bunches have been tied with wire and more recently there is used a plastic collar into which the broccoli stalks are inserted. In either instance the packing process is expensive and time consuming.
Apparatus for bunching and binding vegetables has been used previously in a packing shed environment. Normally the vegetables are cut and transported from the field to a shed wherein stationary equipment is utilized to bunch, band, and trim the stalks. Since most vegetables are cooled as soon as possible after harvesting for transport to the market, it is advantageous to reduce the time differential between harvesting and cooling. It is also advantageous to reduce the handling of the vegetables both from the standpoint of reducing any bruising as well as reducing the cost of harvesting. After bunching, trimming, and banding in the field, the vegetables can be moved immediately to the cooler.
It is one purpose of the present invention to permit the bunching, trimming, and banding of vegetables in the field as they are harvested and with apparatus that is compact and easily transported.
The bunching, trimming, and banding apparatus is compact and efficient as well as being simple to operate and maintain. Additionally, by limiting the vertical height, the apparatus is easily adaptable to a packing shed environment wherein a plurality of the devices are placed on a conveyor for preparing vegetables for shipment.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a conveyor-supported multiple station bunching, trimming, and banding apparatus for use in a packing shed.
Still a further purpose of the present invention is to provide a banding apparatus suitable for banding other articles such as newspapers, flowers, and the like.